With each use, the breech and bore of a firearm accumulate fouling and debris. Most fouling and debris originates from the firearm itself, such as propellant residue (i.e., carbon deposits), priming compound, and ammunition casings (i.e., copper fragments). But fouling and debris may also originate from the environment if the firearm is used outdoors, such as: dirt, sand, mud, moisture, and plant matter. The presence of such materials can moderately to severely compromise the efficacy of a firearm absent proper periodic cleaning of its barrel. For example, the short term build-up of materials within a firearm barrel can undesirably delay the release time of a bullet or other form of ammunition fired from the firearm. Also, materials that remain within a firearm's barrel for a prolonged period of time can cause corrosion or other significant degradation of the firearm's components, thus potentially necessitating expensive repair or replacement of the firearm. Failure to remove the residue and debris may even pose a safety hazard to the operator. Therefore, proper cleaning is one of the most important elements of firearm ownership.
Although the design of firearm cleaning devices has varied over time, they tend to fall into one of two general design categories: rigid devices and flexible devices. Despite differences in their design, firearm barrel cleaning devices are generally used in similar ways, namely by being inserted within the firearm to loosen or dislodge (e.g., by one or more of brushing, scraping and/or rinsing actions) unwanted materials from within the barrel. The dislodged materials are then removed from the barrel through the use of one or more additional devices.
Because the breeches of firearms typically contain numerous intricate components, a variety of cleaning tools may be needed to thoroughly clean the firearm. A tool cleaning kit may contain brushes, a punch pin, a scraper, and a pick, to name a few. Firearm owners may purchase kits containing the required tools to thoroughly clean a particular model of firearm. Although the kits can be useful and may be advantageous for certain applications, the cleaning process can be time-consuming. Military personnel need to be able to clean their weapons in the field, preferably immediately after shooting so that their firearm is ready for use at all times. Therefore, there is a need to decrease the time and steps required to thoroughly clean a firearm.